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Health and safety & security threats in retail businesses and how to remedy them

photo shows a shutter being closed over a shop windowHealth and safety and security threats are often either the same or very closely related. This means that by practicing good health and safety, you will often improve your security - and vice versa. Here are some tips to help.

Conduct regular assessments of your premises

Risk assessments are mandatory and since you’re going to have to assess your premises anyway, you might as well make full use of your time and look for security risks while you’re looking for health and safety risks.

The reason for committing to doing this regularly is because risks can change over time and you may miss this (until something happens) unless you commit to undertaking regular checks.

Make sure your premises are always well lit

In the context of health and safety and security, well-lit means lit so people can actually see their way around. If you want to use artistic lighting for displays, that’s fine, just as long as it doesn’t impact general visibility.

Try to have at least two members of staff on your premises at all times

This one could be a bit of a challenge for smaller businesses as there are usually times when you know a store is going to be quiet (in fact you may be counting on it) and in practical terms, you can only really justify one member of staff. In fact, one member of staff may be all you can afford. You may also have times when you have security personnel working alone.

If this sounds familiar then you could try splitting the difference by using technology to help. As a minimum, you want a “shop” mobile, i.e. one which belongs to the shop and hence is guaranteed to be there, charged (and with a charger) and with credit.

The reason you want a mobile is so staff can keep it on them as they move so if they have a medical emergency, they can call for help.

Ideally, you want to back this up with CCTV. While this may seem like it is purely for security, if it does its job of deterring people from targeting your shop it will also help to keep your staff safe.

A well-organised shop is a safe and secure shop

As a minimum, you want to make sure that walkways are clean, dry and clear. Tripping hazards are not just a health and safety issue, they can attract scammers and they can also serve as a distraction for shoplifters working in teams. One person “accidentally” falls while the others do the stealing.

Keeping items well organised also makes it easier to see when they are out of place. This can easily happen at busy periods but it can also be a sign of crime and if it’s the latter you need to keep careful notes to see if you can establish a pattern.

Last but definitely by no means least, you want to think about what merchandise is the most vulnerable and, as a minimum, try to position it as far as possible from the door (or any open windows through which it could be grabbed).

Tagging systems might be a bit expensive for smaller retailers, but you could try investing in glass cases or just display boxes and keep the actual products elsewhere.

 

Author Bio

TSS Security are commercial security specialists, offering a wide variety of security solutions including fire safety, access control, CCTV and door entry systems.

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